‘A beerlicious experience’

The South is always good for a laugh or two, especially when we bring it upon ourselves.

Enter “The Daily Show,” which aired its segment on how dry counties may be all wet.

Last night’s episode (repeating today at 9 a.m., 1 and 7 p.m. on Comedy Central) featured a segment by not-Stephen Colbert on Alabama’s teetotaling tactics.

(Anyone checking out his new show? Reviews of “Le Report Colbert” range from glowing
to almost glowering.)

Complete with banjo music, the piece heralded Alabama’s place at the bottom of national rankings, its narrow selection of beers and even the Ten Commandments monument. And because anyone who wants to be interviewed on the “Daily Show” usually comes off looking kinda stupid and/or kinda gay, well, the interviews did not disappoint.

Which chart is real? (Or is this a trick question?)

Grassroots movement Free the Hops had its 15 minutes of shame fame, touting why more beer selection equals better quality of life.

And the much anticipated on-the-scene report from Cullman’s alkohol-free Oktoberfest provided cheap laughs. In the Birmingham News story, pastor Bob Kurtz explains …

“It is funny — a dry Oktoberfest,” agrees Kurtz, who 20 years ago gave up a national sports reporting and anchor career to go into the ministry. “It’s tremendous exposure for Cullman, as long as it’s done with warmth and good humor.”

Yeah, funny: like a gift-free Christmas, or a vegetarian Thanksgiving. Or a Ramadan without jihad.

(Kidding! We meant Vegan Thanksgiving.)

Here’s that warm fuzzy coverage we hoped for …

Less cowbell.

The perils of not drinking.

‘Are you gay?’ ‘I’m not gay.’ (Sold me!)

Could’ve been worse, like say, a wacky take on the forgotten-but-not-gone Natalee Holloway. (And by worse, we mean wickedly hilarious.)

• • •

“Daily Show” clip on the Free the Hops site (Windows Media)

(or just stop by and I’ll act it out for you)

Posted: Wednesday, October 19, 2005, 5:45 am, in Bama, Culture.
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